


Oh deer...

by GreyTabbyCat



Category: Forever (TV)
Genre: Car Accidents, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, without anyone getting hurt permanently
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-19 07:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7352485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyTabbyCat/pseuds/GreyTabbyCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry and Jo are driving back from a middle of nowhere town. They end up having to brave heavy snowfall and to top it all of find themselves in a car accident. What happens next?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oh deer...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ArgylePirateWD](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgylePirateWD/gifts).



> I know writing about heavy snowfall in July is a little (or a lot) crazy, but I hope you'll like the story anyway.

“God Henry, why do you have to be so persuasive,” Jo grumbled, navigating the small middle-of-nowhere streets in the heavy snowfall that had started half an hour ago. 

The temperatures dropped drastically before they even arrived at their destination, a police station just as small as everything around here seemed to be – except for the woods and nature in general, those existed in abundance. But Henry had had a hunch – as always. And even though Jo had initially been very unwilling to accompany him she suspected he’d go anyway and figured she’d better go with him if she wanted to at least try and prevent disaster, as much as was in her power anyway. His way with words certainly didn’t hurt either. 

Jo would have thrown a death glare Henry’s way if she had dared to take her eyes off of the road. Her whole concentration had to be focused on driving in this weather. She squinted, trying to see past the heavy flurry of white and was immensely grateful Henry stayed quiet, unexpected as it was. 

Suddenly, a deer leapt from behind a tree. In the middle of the road it stopped and stood like the literal deer caught in headlights. 

Jo cursed loudly and trying to avoid a collision yanked on the steering wheel violently while stepping on the breaks. Unfortunately she didn’t consider the weather conditions. 

The car slipped on a patch of ice and swerved dangerously across the road and directly into the left lane. Jo worked to get the car back under control and managed to just get it back onto the right side of the street when she underestimated the layer of snow and ended up oversteering. 

Despite all her best efforts, the car slid across the street – having developed a life of its own – and only stopped in the ditch next to the road. 

The deer that had caused all of this was of course long gone. No where to be seen anymore, but the car continued to scream.

“What the…,” Jo mumbled, eyes wide, her hands still gripped the steering wheel tight, knuckles nearly as white as the snow outside, posture rigid, breathing fast. “How do I…?” 

“Jo,” Henry said softly, laying a hand on her knee. 

She jerked back both legs and with the motion the car fell finally silent for a moment. “Henry!” She exclaimed, her stupor lifted and she abruptly turned towards the passenger seat. 

“I’m fine. No harm done. But are you alright, Jo? Does anything hurt?” Henry asked concerned, his eyes travelling over her, checking for any visible injuries. 

“I don’t know, but I don’t think so,” she admitted, eyes flitting around their cramped confines. 

“You might have a nasty shock. And we need to get out of here. Otherwise, we’ll end up snowed in faster than we might like.” Henry tried to open his door, but it wouldn’t budge. 

On closer inspection he became aware of their predicament. “Jo, it looks like I’m stuck.”

“What exactly are you talking about?” 

“Well, we seem to have landed in a 45°, uh angle. Luckily, this ditch is here or we might have ended on the roof. Would you try to open your door?”

Jo fumbled with the doorknob for a moment before she was finally able to heave the door open towards the tree tops. 

“Ok, it opens, but we are still stuck in here,” she said a worried edge in her voice. “I can’t hold the door open and climb out of here at the same time.” She let go of the door again and it fell shut with a loud clang. 

“Well,” Henry unfastened his seatbelt, “Detective, it looks like not all is lost. We are stuck together here after all which means there are four arms instead of only two.” 

So Jo undid her own seatbelt as well while Henry edged towards the middle of the car. Jo twisted in her seat to get in a better position for her climb. She braced her feet on the middle console and stood while simultaneously opening the door again. 

Somehow Henry managed to snake around her even in the crammed space of her car. A few bumps and jiggles later Henry stood next to her grinning triumphantly and Jo couldn’t help but shake her head at him. 

Henry held the door open while Jo finally made it outside and into the snow slowly piling up at the side of the road. She then held the door for Henry.

When both partners finally stood next to the crashed vehicle the next problem arose quickly. 

“Typical, I can’t get any cell reception out here. What now?” 

“There was a small hotel about a mile back in the direction we just came from. We might as well try our luck there, don’t you agree?” 

“Might as well,” Jo sighed and marched off. 

~*~*~ 

They walked in a silence that ranged from comfortable to tense and everything in between. Jo was deeply occupied in her own mind, but Henry kept a close look on her still clearly worried. And when Jo slipped in the snow and ice for the fifth time Henry wrapped an arm around Jo’s waist in silent support. 

It was already getting dark when they finally reached the small hotel shivering and nearly frozen solid. They didn’t spare one thought as to why there even was a hotel here in the middle of nowhere and were only grateful for its existence. 

~*~*~

A bell jingled above the door when Henry pushed it open. Always the gentleman he held it open for Jo before making his way to the front desk. He proceeded to recount their day’s fate to a more and more horrified-looking receptionist.

“So, you see, we are in dire need of a phone that is operable around here as well as a place to stay for the night as we can most probably only be towed come tomorrow.” 

“Oh my, yes. Yes, of course.” The nice receptionist sprang into action once she had recovered enough from what she had just heard and brought over a phone. 

Jo called Hanson and relayed all necessary information they had gathered and, after making sure they were indeed ok, teased her relentlessly about getting stranded in the most ‘picturesque’ aka boring town around during a snow storm no less. 

After that Henry called Abe to tell him what had happened and that he wouldn’t be home till the next day and not to worry. Abe offered to come and get them himself, but Henry steadfastly refused to have him drive in the dark in this kind of weather. In the end Abe agreed and Henry breathed a sigh of relief. 

“There’s only one problem,” the receptionist told them after having put the phone back. “We should be fully booked. But,” she added as she saw Henry and Jo’s faces drop, “one guest cancelled so that room is available if you don’t mind sharing.” She looked very apologetic, but there was really nothing she could do about it. 

Henry turned to look at Jo who only shrugged in response. “That won’t be a problem,” Henry reassured the receptionist who sprang into action at once. 

~*~*~

Finally the door had closed behind the receptionist and both Henry and Jo took a deep breath. She had really jumped at the opportunity to show these (too) polite city dwellers the whole building top to bottom and regale them with the most funny and interesting stories about her small hometown she could think of. 

“Gosh, I thought she’d never leave us be.” 

“Mh-hm, as did I,” Henry mumbled in agreement. He turned, gaze sweeping around the room. It was small, situated directly under the roof, and only held a bed, a closet, and a door to a small bathroom. Still, it had a cosy feel to it. 

“It’s nice enough for a stop as spontaneous as this. But what do we do about the sleeping arrangements?” 

Jo sat down at the edge of the bed. “Our options seem a bit limited in that regard,” she said pointing towards the only space fit for sleeping. 

“It certainly looks that way. And we would most probably both do well with a good night’s sleep. So I’d propose we really do share if the thought of it doesn’t make you too uncomfortable that is.” 

“No, it’s fine. We can share,” Jo decided and so they did exactly that.

~*~*~

In the middle of the night Henry startled awake. For a moment he was disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. He looked around the room as best as the little moonlight filtering in through the only window permitted and the day’s events rushed back to him.

Despite it all, Henry was just about to turn around and try to get some more sleep when he noticed a shadow by the window. 

“Jo?” He asked while sitting up in the bed and rubbed a hand over his face. 

At the sound of Henry’s voice she jumped before slowly turning around. “Henry? Why are you awake?”

“That doesn’t matter right now. It seems to me that the more pressing matter here is why you are awake.”

“Well,” she began than stopped and Henry could see her face scrunching up in the low light, “I … it looks like … I mean,” Jo clammed up, obviously uncomfortable and surely searching for a way around admitting what was really bothering her. “I don’t know!”

Henry only cocked his head to the right slightly and continued to silently look at Jo. 

“Ugh,” she exclaimed after a while, exasperated when Henry wouldn’t let the subject drop. “I couldn’t sleep, ok!” 

Henry nodded, “ok,” and Jo took a couple deep breaths. 

She looked away embarrassed before mumbling, “Every time I tried to lay down and go to sleep I’d be back in the car. Even worse when I’d close my eyes. So I just gave up eventually…” 

“Oh, Jo…” He trailed off while Jo turned her gaze outside biting her thumb nail. “But it would do you good to rest.” 

“And I just told you that I can’t!” 

“At least come here,” Henry said, patting the empty space next to him. “It will be more comfortable than standing there all night in the chilly air in any case.” 

Jo silently debated what to do for a minute before she slowly walked over and got into bed next to Henry. 

“So, what now?” 

“Are you any more comfortable yet?” 

“Not really, no.”

“Well, come on then,” Henry said sliding down into a semi-sitting position, only continuing when Jo had followed his lead. “I’ll tell you a story. Maybe that will help you relax further.” 

“Ok, it won’t hurt to try, I guess.” She moved closer to the warmth Henry provided, not nearly as inconspicuously as she thought, because Henry was right, the night air was chilly as hell and Henry wrapped his arm around her shoulders drawing her closer. Only to help warm her up he told himself and not because it felt nice to feel her body so close to his. No, definitely not that. 

“When Abraham was very little he was obsessed with pandas for a while. I’m pretty sure they are still to this day his favourite animal. It was even one of the first words he spoke. I never actually learned where he picked that one up, but I suspect Abigail might have had something to do with it just to confuse me.” 

Henry couldn’t contain the wide smile that crossed his features at this particular memory and he could even feel Jo’s face shift into what he presumed to be a smile as she began to relax into him. As Jo began to get more comfortable with his close proximity, Henry started softly running his fingers through her hair before he went on with his tale. 

“One day Abraham and I were at home alone building something out of his wooden blocks when he got all excited and started running around the living room and repeatedly exclaimed ‘panda, panda’. I didn’t know what had gotten into him right away, but he had moments like this from time to time,” he chuckled softly. “Then I spotted the newspaper half-hanging from the table and I could just make out a panda on one of the few and very small pictures. I tell you that child had eyes like a hawk. I don’t even remember what exactly the article was about, but it made Abe’s day.” 

At some point during his story he felt Jo sag against him. She had been exhausted after all and with his help had been able to finally fall asleep. To keep it that way Henry continued talking long into the early hours of the morning, re-living some of his most precious memories in case Jo woke at any point. She would have to be confronted again with everything that had happened soon enough and he vowed to take her mind off of everything as much as possible until then.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this kind of scenario (minus the deer, but with oncoming traffic) happened to me this past winter on my way to work. And I have to admit I would have loved to have someone like Henry by my side instead of going through it alone.


End file.
